Tales of the Dark Woods Circus
by aimsknight06
Summary: A collection of the stories originating from the Vocaloid songs in the Dark Woods Circus.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

The Dark forest on the edges of the town were quite unwelcoming. Trees as tall as a giant towered in the routes, blocking the moonlight. Sounds of the wild unknown stretched far and wide, frightening off any outsiders. These woods held the old stories of the ones with giraffe legs, werewolves, and most frightening of all, the Master of Dark Forest.

The people around the town were quite suspicious of Dark Forest. There came to many regulations and curfews restricting activity after dusk fell. But as these superstitions were proved to be groundless overtime, the more contemporary generations soon wiped it clean from their memory.

Being the poor little hamlet the town was, they welcomed any form of trade or tourism. The town was appropriately named Dark Forest Town. In an effort to attract revenues, they put together vaudeville entertainment and called it The Dark Woods Circus.

Sadly, few saw the show for any worth and the little village dwindled on the edge of eternal poverty. People moved out of the sad little place, hoping for lives elsewhere. They took all they had with them. Shoes, rugs, mattresses. They didn't really have a lot. Pianos, bed frames, lockets.

The older generations stayed, from fear of the outer worlds. Newer generations tried to coax them with tales of cities paved with gold and nonexistent hunger. Nonetheless, many stayed behind to guard the place of their origin.

History is blurry. As time transiently passed over the quiet town, things became silent. A little ghost town sat in the forest until the forest ate it up. Whatever left of the town now exists only in foreign records, as there were no detailed primary texts. The descendents have long forgotten the tale of the Dark Forest Town that exists now only in their great grandparents deepest memories.

The surrounding villages carried on with their own business until one day, a woodcutter came back with a fascinating tale.

"Where the long-gone Dark Forest Town stood, now stands a tent,

One of marvelous entities and mystery."

People were slow to follow on at first, but eventually, some went and returned with tales just as outrageous and glamorous as the last. Human curiosity ought to be a sin.

Soon the name of Dark Wood Circus spread across the region. Adults found it seemingly appropriate to rename the Dark Forest, "Dark Woods".

The circus always opened with this curious theme sung by it's partakers:

_Deep in the Forest, far far in the back that way_

_There is a circus_

_The chairman with big eyes_

_and ten meters tall_

_All the cast is jolly_

_Their forms are rather strange but so fun!_

_The Dark Woods Circus_


	2. Chapter 2: Little Red Doll

Little Meiko had always been known as a clumsy, obedient girl.

"Do the laundry today." "Do the dishes for me." "Get me some cake."

She'd been taught by her mother that a girl ought not be heard but seen serving. Such faithfulness was sure to be rewarded, she learned.

In the little town, boredom was a killer. Children were rumored to have wandered off into obscurity, lost forever. Whatever the story, the child was always bored from being home alone and wandered off into the nearby Dark Woods, leaving a note.

Yet, the unreasonable parents of the little town of brick were not very smart. They continued to leave the house, you see, and their children to fend for themselves. The town post was stuffed with missing notices, and more warnings to bored children were made.

Little Meiko hardly knew where her parents always left to. She'd stand for hours in the lonely house watching her shadow. On the days of boredom relapse, she went to the local healer, whose stories for children relieved their sense of mundane perpetuation.

The old, crooked woman whistled themes from her chipped teeth as she told of stories passed down from the village history. She also occasionally gave treats to the children. Meiko was so happy when she received a handmade pouch with her name stitched onto it's rim.

"Today's story is 'The Dark Woods Circus'." The children oohed and ahhed in response.

"There once existed a sad little child, deformed and thrown away by his parents. He sought a home and wandered into the domain of the old Dark Forest Town..."

Meiko couldn't help but relate to the poor boy in the story.

"The town, children, was once the grounds of a circus. The boy, starving and hungry ventured to the long forgotten borders of the town and the Dark Woods."

The Dark Woods was a place of omen. It was regarded with utmost avoidance, but it was not particularly scary to anyone.

"As you know, the Woods are vast. In fact, they even reach us, out here! But anyway, the boy suddenly was overshadowed. When he looked up, he saw up the legs of a giant. There were two, and they circled a flag overlooking the tops of trees."

"How tall were they?" a little boy quipped.

"Almost as tall as the sky... And they were dressed in fine clothing, the silver and gold-haired giants... Oh yes, silks, stripes..." The children listened in awe.

"They let the boy through; took pity on him. Inside, he saw the most dazzling and marvelous sights one could to see. Strange people, deformities, ah yes... And then came the ringleader."

The mention of the 'ringleader' strangely sent shivers down Meiko's back. She felt a strange sensation as though eyes were watching her unawares.

"He was a short squat man. He was dressed in the reddest of material, and held the little boy's hands."

"He spoke softly, 'Child, we have been waiting for you.'"

"The little boy could not believe it. He joined the strange little circus. And to this day, the circus remains, deep in the woods, waiting for children."

The children instantly began to jabber about the story.

"The ringleader sounds like a bad guy, huh?"

"How I'd love to go see those sights!"

"I want the ringleader himself to come take me away!"

The old healer had the children promise they would not tell their parents of the tale they just heard.

…

Later that night, Meiko's parents returned home. She had laid out dinner, and they sat to eat.

"Mommy?" Meiko picked at her potatoes, "Have you ever been to a circus?"

Her mother put down her fork and exchanged glances with the father.

"Why do you ask, child?"

"... I should think I'd like to see a show one day."

"Nonsense. Those are unfit for the eyes of children. You're better off staying home, Meiko."

Meiko indignantly puffed up her cheeks, "I'm tired of staying at home! If you don't take me to a show, maybe I'll wander off like the others!"

Her parents instantly stopped eating. Her father told her to leave the table in a hoarse, firm voice. Meiko obeyed and threw a fit in her room.

The next day, her parents unexpectedly told her to put on a cute red dress. 'We're going out'. Meiko couldn't believe her ears. Her parents were complying with her wish! She hurriedly rushed to get ready.

They rode a stagecoach and Meiko watched eagerly all the way to the gates of a town. She happily skipped across cobblestones marveling and absorbing the sights. She ran too quick and lost sight of her parents.

"Mama? Papa?" Meiko looked around nervously at the rush of trampling feet and traveling bodies. It was so strange and unfamiliar. But she did not cry. She merely continued to wander at a meandering pace.

Suddenly, a carriage barreled through the street. Meiko saw a passenger wink from the window as it passed. She looked at her hands to find a flier. The passenger must have slipped it in her absence of mind. She looked it over curiously:

_Come one, come all,_

_To the sensational show of _

_the Dark Woods Circus!_

_Free for children below 12 years of age_

Meiko had merely turned ten. Her heart jumped with excitement as she realized she may be able to go to the circus after all. Happy and curious, she began to walk slowly down the street.

The address at the bottom of the flier led her to a crowd of people moving in and out of the town borders. Some were going in, others had seen what there was and left. Meiko followed the herd entering and saw a large pair of pants hanging down, shadowing some pointed shoes that stood by the circus tent entrance. She followed the tall legs up and saw curiously disproportionate bodies atop the giant legs.

"The giants..." She whispered beneath her breath.

And they truly were as the healer had described them. Clothed in the strangest but most extravagant of clothing, it stood and looked down discerningly at the crowd of bustling patrons. This giant had silver hair underneath her (or his) big striped hat. Meiko gingerly touched the pant legs of monochrome color stripes. The cloth was stiff, yet silky.

A second golden haired giant lumbered near and leaned to whisper something into the silver one's ear. Meiko left them to their conversation and proceeded to entering the main tent.

But a twinge stopped her from entering. A twinge of caution. Something told her to leave, run away as fast as she could, before the chance disappeared.

Just as she was hesitating, a beckoning figure appeared beside her. It was a strange sight to behold. Two blonde heads, one a boy, and one a girl, were attached to the came trunk which branched from the main body clothed in a yellow cloth. The girl's head had a white ribbon tied around, and the boy had a short ponytail. Meiko noticed the girl had red eyes.

The boy held put his hand and smiled. Meiko could not resist the temptation. The red-eyed girl swiveled her head awkwardly as they made pace towards a tent on the side. The feeling in Meiko's stomach disappeared.

The tent was murky dark, and there was a strange smell exuding from everywhere. Meiko felt the touch slip from her hands and realized that she was all alone. The light of the outside did not penetrate this tent. She was lost.

But a small ray attracted her to a wall. There was a small peephole that eroded into the rotten wood board. On the other side, she could see a crowd of people, all smiling jovially. She couldn't find her parents. They must not have come.

There was suddenly a loud clanking of heavy iron chains. A small, squat, pot-bellied man in red and striped pants stepped onto the stage. He tipped his tall hat courteously to the audience. Meiko glimpsed gray and brown hair. The clinking came from his associates, who were dragging a heavily chained blue haired male onto the ring. A sudden spotlight shone on him.

"Now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the cannibal..." As the ring master spoke fervently, the two workers undid some of the chains. Meiko saw that a chain tied from around his neck connecting to the small of the back and split there onto a clasp under the ears. It was wearing some kind of heavy duty straight jacket.

"...rumored to have been the one to devour an entire village in a single night..."

The exhibit turned his head Meiko's way. She made a small gasp as she saw his horrid, mad, raving eyes. There was the clasp that clung around his face. When they undid this, the people gasped at his sudden wolf-like howl and wolf-like teeth. He then began to use his elbows and knees, constrained in the straitjacket, to attempt to crawl to the crowd. The two workers kept onto his chain. He couldn't get any further than the ring edge, where he snarled and snapped as people spat, jeered, and threw trash at him.

"...The Dog Man!" The ringmaster announced with final vigor. The crowd roared with approving laughter. Then Meiko realized that the man was in a state of an animal mind. She shivered slightly as he struggled and bloody froth began to form as he raved about madly. The ringmaster snapped his fingers and the associates dragged away Dog Man at the cue.

"For our next piece of entertainment..." The ringmaster clapped his hands as the spotlight split in two, one facing the right supporting pole, and another to the back opening of the tent.

From the tent ceiling, as if suspended by magic, a flowery swing descended. A young girl with curly red hair sat on the seat, her doll like face adorned with pink flowers. From the tent flap, the same two headed person emerged, smiling. Meiko could now see that the boy had strange markings running up from his neck. He was smiling nonchalantly as he held a candelabra in one hand, while the girl's head laughed lightheartedly, juggling balls in the other hand.

"The Siamese Twins and the Doll girl!"

The audience showed weakness, but nonetheless, they cheered and screamed insults at the deformities.

Slightly frowning, the Ringmaster declared the Doll girl would sing. The flowery swing added an effect by shaking several petals loose, showering the tent interior, as if casting a spell. The Doll girl's voice was light and soothing:

_It's painful, It's Painful_

_I say,_

_But still, the show, this circus must go on!_

The crowd roars with laughter. The thought of deformities feeling pain was laughable. Meiko thought she saw some tattered skin beneath the flowers the Doll wore over her right eye. She also must have imagined the tear that leaked out.

The Siamese Twins paraded around the ring, dodging rotten fruit thrown at them from the seats. The girl smiled at the animosity. The boy was clearly annoyed, but kept a stiff tongue.

Under the Ringmaster's orders, the two disappeared from the spot light. He pulled on his succulent mustache, grinning at the crowd.

"And now, for our newest addition, one of the mythical beasts I'm sure you have all heard of..."

There was a long suspense as a creaking of rolling wheels ensued. A large covered cage was pulled beside the ringmaster. He gleefully baited the crowd as he prepared to take off the covers. Meiko held her breath.

"A CHIMERA!"

With great charisma, he flung away the red cloth, revealing bars of wrought steel, and within, a girl.

She had beautiful turquoise hair that was crowned by two strange metal pieces extruding out of the sides of her head. She was blindfolded, and fettered by numerous restraints. Meiko could see that the metal vaguely resembled a gear and a twisted rod of a horn.

The Ringmaster led the cages to the spot closest to the crowd. They took one look and all of them responded expectantly. Some laughed, others cursed and threw more rotten food. It smacked against the bars, which suddenly seemed so weak before the mounting audience of insurgents.

"More like a DEFORMED DIVA!" Some one shouted.

The chimera opened her mouth to cry. It was an inhuman sound no one seemed to notice as it was drowned in a wave of spite. The Ringmaster raised both his hands in triumph and the roaring only grew louder. Meiko found herself clapping in spite of her self.

…

The darkness was unchanging as the workers left the tent. Meiko had hidden among some hay in the storage tent with the caged exhibits. She took this time to get a closer look at these "creatures".

The first cage she ventured to was the Dog man. He was in a cage and tightly bound head to toe. The metal clasp was replaced with several leather bands that locked his mouth. Froth still leaked from the gag as he bored at her from his prison with bloodshot eyes.

The Doll hung from a ceiling enclosed in a huge bird cage that accommodated with a flowery perch. She looked down at Meiko with her good eye and smiled in a sad, cruel way. Meiko felt pity for her, for she was so beautiful and ugly. Suddenly, a crack could be heard as the doll's neck broke in two. Her head banged against the bars of the cage and the body slumped a bit. The head's flowers fell daintily, revealing a horribly corroded face that was once whole and beautiful. Meiko's eyes widened as she took a step back.

She backed right into the bars of the chimera cage. The Chimera lay pitifully on the cage floor. Her arms were bound behind her by heavy chains that linked with her legs to a lock about the cage. Meiko saw her beautifully black webbed dress underneath all the rope and chains. The figure writhed weakly and Meiko saw the burns and scars that riddled her exposed shoulder. A blindfold and a tight gag concealed most of her face. It must have been punishment for crying out during the performance.

Meiko's hand quickly flew to her mouth. She felt sick. The eyes of the Doll stared at her from behind bars, and the Chimera's writhing was like that of a broken old woman... pleading... crying...

A flap of the tent suddenly distracted Meiko's distress. She spun around to see the Siamese Twins standing at the entrance. The girl casually smiled. The boy wore a pained expression on his face. At this distance, Meiko could now see that they both had riddled burns covering the convergence of the necks.

They slipped past her and, to Meiko's surprise, easily opened the cage. With gentle fingers, the Twins undid a majority of the restraints. Chains fell loudly to the floor as Meiko watched in awe. At last, the boy pulled off the lacey blindfold in a flourish and everything was silent.

Meiko gazed with amazement at the lapis luzili irises that hadn't seen light in so long. The Chimera blinked to her friend. The girl twin playfully teased the saturnine boy's face, repeatedly poking him. Despite his other head, the boy leaned in and kissed the chimera on the cheek. Meiko had to stifle a strange sound that was neither laughter nor amazement.

Suddenly, she felt a breeze from behind, lifting her skirts. The expressions on the caged faces suddenly turned fearful and several of the other freaks began to squawk and cause a loud uproar.

There at the entrance stood the Ringmaster.

He glanced over Meiko, barely noticing her, to the birdcage where the broken Doll laid on the cage floor. He fingered his mustache, amused.

"So... We have lost one, eh?"

Meiko felt those lights-for-eyes peeking out under the shadow of the brimmed hat focus on her.

"We have been waiting long for a new Doll, haven't we?"

An uproar of consent exploded from the darkest reaches in the darkness. Meiko felt paralyzed as she realized with dread what was happening.

Dark tentacled shadows snaked fro the Ringmaster's cape and enveloped her in a murky blackness. She couldn't scream, her throat was paralyzed with fear. Behind the wall of writhing shadow, the Ringmaster cracked a crazy grin beneath his mustache.

"Welcome to the Dark Wood Circus."

…

If you go to the little town formed by travelers always following the Dark Woods Circus, you will find many others like you coming to see the show. If you are lucky, you may get a special offer from the new little helper from the circus. She wears a red dress and has flowers decorating her brown-haired head. Her pale skin has earned her the name of "Doll". She looks at you with little black eyes as she hands you a flier. A wind suddenly blows and you see strange markings covering her face. Before you get the chance to speak, she flies away with the wind. Like a flower. On the floor, beside your feet, you find a small pouch that is for little girls. It looks handmade. On the rim, the letters stitched in are forming a name, one that is unfamiliar.

"Meiko"


	3. Chapter 3: Reign of the Steel Princess

There was a little girl who lived in a little town with her parents.

She was a queer little girl.

One day, she was found playing with a frog corpse as though it were a puppet. The other townspeople advised their children not to stay near her.

"She's a Queer One." They'd say.

The little girl with teal hair did not hear them, and therefore, she did not care.

When the little girl reached eight, her father died in a vehicular accident. She wondered where he went.

_Where is father?_

The little girl came to be known as Miku. It was a strange name, people say, perfect for a Queer One like her.

Her mother suffered, others say, to keep them both alive. Why, they ask, Why?

So little Miku was a teal-haired girl looking for her father with a suffering mother in a town of 'others' and 'them'. Despite all this, she did not care.

She grew to be beautiful, yet untouched. Desirable, but untainted. Her eyes reflected a strange world where rabbits wore screws in their necks and birds sung like toothless old men. She was radiant, wanted, but others stayed away.

"Forgive me."

Mother says this one day.

"I can't keep on living like this," says the hunched old woman.

She takes Miku by the hand and leads her away from the town. Far away from the town. Deeper into the woods than Miku had ever ventured.

Their journey stops at a gate of black steel and a wall of high stone. Little dwarfs in white and tall, lumbering sticks in white scurried here and there. A rather stout stick with glasses let them in. A group of them talked to Mother and Miku watched from outside the room. She saw her mother receive a satchel of golden metal, and watched her leave.

_Mother?_

She reached out for the familiar unconditional love expected to return to her fingertips. It never came. The gates slammed shut and rattled and Miku was led away by the white people.

She did not cry. The little people looked at her like hungry wolves.

One touched her arm, and as if by magic, the patch of cloth turned dark. Alarmed, Miku struck out and her foot made contact with his chest. There was a loud crack and the whole bunch suddenly just surged upon her.

One had a needle-like arm which stung poisonously. The clamor of voices slowly grew slurred as her strength escaped her body and left her a heap on the floor. Those faces with windows to their eyes crowded closer, and Miku knew she'd entered the kingdom of steel chains.

Benzedrine, benzodiazepines, norepinephrine, amphetamines, GABA, …

Miku was listlessly listening to these words repeatedly everyday as the men in white scribbled down rapidly on their boards. She watched from behind a window next to the door into her new room.

The room was white, and fluffy. A bed that was unmovable sat in one corner, and a toilet was on the wall perpendicular to the bed. Her clothes had been degraded to nothing more than a shirt tied from the back and shorts, both of which were a white color.

Miku looked at the clock outside the window. It had roughly been two days since she'd arrived at this castle. The men were talking of her being "ready".

Ready for what? Why, being the queen of course! She was next in line to be the Queen of this kingdom of steel. And once that day comes, oh, the joy! Her reign would be for generations to come.

So little Miku waited patiently. The men in white left after what seemed like an hour. They returned, however, and bring others with them. They opened the door and Miku watched their movement carefully. They said she was going to somewhere fun.

Given no time to even respond, they clapped a wooly cuff on her hands, so it would be hard to pull them apart. They then proceeded to lead her down a winding hall that smelled funny.

_Oh, I get it. This is princess training._

In a large sterile room, the volatile smell was stronger. Figures in turquoise led Miku from the ones in white and told her to lay on a steel table. She hoped this was not to be her new bed and quarters. It was horribly bland for a princess.

"What are we doing?"

They did not answer back. Instead, she was handed a weird crown that projected sounds into her ears. Strange, crude sounds that dealt waves of abnormal feeling through her body. She detested this exercise, but she made as little resistance as possible.

The people seemed pleased at her efforts to stay still. Miku was sure her coronation would be tomorrow.

That tomorrow never came.

Repeatedly, every day, she was hooked up to new and old mechanic contraptions that were uncomfortable and caused immense pain.

In one of the trials, they strapped her down and placed some plugs on her body. She could hear a rhythmic beeping coming from one of the machines. Suddenly, she saw the "Master" enter.

He was the evil lord who ruled over these ugly men. He was trying to keep her from the throne by extracting secrets from her.

_"Where is the vault?"_

"You'll never get your hands on it, Baron!" She howled at the apparition standing behind the white suits.

A low whirring ensues. Miku can see he's got a small electric drill in his hand.

"Alright..." He brings the drill to her body.

Arcs of pain shoot through as Miku screams uncontrollably. Her body spasms and convulses as she heaves short, quick breaths. She feels like her head will explode from all the blood rushing to it. The scientists speak in jarred, sound-stricken sentences twisted by a high pitch voice. It pierces Miku's ears and a vessel bursts in her nose. Limp and unconscious, her head flops backwards as froth issues from her mouth.

…

The director of the sanitarium looks past the glass into the room where a girl with teal hair sat upright in her bed, assisted by several scientists. She was blindfolded and had her arms protected, and she did not make a sound.

Just yesterday she had passed out from the brain scans being conducted. Her condition was so severe it caused her heart to stop and she had to be resuscitated.

As of yet, she was in a vegetable state. They blinded her for fear she would hallucinate further and die from her own fantasies.

Why don't we try erasing her memory? Yes, good idea. And if that doesn't work, it'll be worth something for ol' Sam. Sam? He still runnin' the sideshow biz'? Yeah, and freaks like these will please him lots.

Words and few solutions were exchanged over coffee. Miku thought about this castle, now in ruin, bound within a Steel Reign.


	4. Chapter 4: Before the Circus

Miku regained a state of stability about three weeks later. She was transferred to the lower levels of the "research facility".

Every bath time, she'd notice a strange metal hole protruding from the area of her lower back. She never asked about it, though. Once in a while, a scientist would poke a key into it during a checkup and give it a twist. Miku never understood the purpose of such things.

The new room was white and emptier than before, with nothing but Miku inside it's pillowed walls. A steel door with a tiny barred slot allowed her to peer into the long dark corridor. But it also allowed the entrance of strange sounds. Sounds that echoed from the dark end of the corridor. Screaming that sounded like laughter, grinding, many different pitches of whirring resounding.

A blue headed man was once dragged to the room by many men. He fought and kicked, shouting about "rights". But to his despair, the men only grinned in malice. After his share of the screaming died from the ears of the others who listened, a barking could be heard to this day. One very savage and unceasingly rabid bark.

Another time, a little blonde girl was sent to the dark end of the corridor. After her, a boy who looked much like her was sent in quickly. Miku caught a glimpse of him getting led to the "room." He felt her glance, and returned an evil grin saying, "you're next."

She could hear the crazed laughter of the scientist and the whirr of the surgical saws loudly. But, if she strained hard to hear, a small bark could be heard faintly through the madness. A sympathetic, slightly pitying sound, almost a whimper. And Miku began to wonder.

Miku once found a loosened block on the wall. It revealed a small hole bored to another room. She whispered and hoped, being deprived of another human tongue for so long, that she could hear the beauteous sounds of speech again. Her own words had begun to wither, and she spoke in rapid, broken words.

An eye stared through and noticed her plight. She spoke a different tongue, but the two were elated to have found company in this forsaken facility. They awkwardly introduced themselves as "Miku" and "Teto".

They were able to jabber through this small window for a few days. Then Teto's room was empty. Miku whispered to the emptiness on the other end, crying, being responded to only by silence.

Two days later, she was laying asleep when the door threw open. She did not know whether it was day or night, breakfast or dinner, only that the damn door was finally open. Open! Harsh, white light streamed in behind a black figure, who wore a white coat. He held out his hand and tugged on the "leash" he'd kept on Miku, who groggily, but obediently, followed.

…

Miku did not know what hit her next.

As soon as she entered the dark, steel room, she was told to lay down on a metal table. She could not see through the darkness the encircled the light shining on her as she slowly climbed up. She could not know that in one corner, a pile of bloody parts had been tossed and de-scented. She could not know that another corner held saws as sharp as crocodiles' teeth. She could not know that behind her, the scientist shut the door and proceeded to pull on plastic gloves.

Her head was set onto a pillow and the scientist smiled lightly. She could see her face mirrored on his glasses. He positioned a heavy mask over her face. As she breathed, she felt her eyelids and head grow heavy. The air got stale and clogged in her throat. She could hear a gargling sound as her vision blanked and her head lolled to it's side.

…

Miku remembered little after that.

Multiple times, she heard a lullaby of "The Dark Woods Circus" pulsating from lips moving flippantly. She felt strange, intruding motions all over her body, and her head hurt a bit. But this was all in complete darkness. She could feel her heavy body shift a finger clumsily, and twitch and eyelid. But she still remained wholly still.

After a millennium, or so it seemed, she cracked her eyes open slightly for the first time. There was a white tape holding her eyelids down, so she could only see a slit of surroundings.

Her body was lead and did not move. Her head did not turn and she could see her chest only raising so often in breath. She felt tired, so she resumed her hermitage in the darkness for another while.

When she awoke, she found herself in a barred cage. Her body felt achy, but moved surprisingly well. She felt the weight of a chain encircling her neck as she took a look around. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness in a tent, she saw other cages. One with a blue haired man with rabies and another with a Siamese Twin in rags.

She wondered why she was here and raised a hand to feel her throbbing head. She felt two strange horn like objects protruding out. One twisted like a spring, another was a rod attached to a gear.

"What... What have they done to me?" She wondered too late.


	5. Chapter 5: The Ice Queen's Death

Surely you know the tale of the pitiful chimera who was consumed by her fate to perform an ugly circus act? Do you know of what befalls her next? Oh, it's simply a wonderful tale. Hurry now, grab a stool. I'll tell you this teary tragedy. Need you a preparatory box of tissues? Sorry, I know they're a bit coarse but what do you expect? A traveling circus hasn't got time for pleasantries! Now, as you know, there once existed a chimera exhibit at this very circus...

She was certainly beautiful, as one would say. Hair a teal green and eyes so clear and turquoise you'd think you were staring into a gem. However the day she was taken here, rods of metal had punctured into her head and her beauty soon faded as the rowdy crowds abused the poor object. Her face became scarred from acid and she wailed constantly for comfort. Yes, sad, truly!

But, in the midst of her misery, a shining white knight in armor came to embrace her! Oh the lord! He promptly bought her from the circus and had her made fit and proper you know, like a lady. He married her, green as she was, and they lived together.

He was a hasty but sincere, quite a gentleman. But, he was dealing with quite a new creature. She knew nothing of etiquette or any normal human behavior. All quite forgotten, you see. And so he had to be patient with her, for he truly did love her.

However, this girl held deep scars that still stung and festered in her heart and body. At night she grinds her teeth from the bodily pain that surges up every once in a nighttime. Her traumatized memory conjured visions during day and nighttime, creating a very strange and distorted view of the world.

She saw on her finger a ring of silver. But her mind conceived it as a collar to her tortured life. She could still taste the despair that had taken hold for most of her early life. The collar kept her alive and suffering.

The man she saw, she could not see clearly through her pain. There were moments when she actually would have a respite from the pain and see his face, smiling. But those moments were rare and arbitrary. She'd mainly see a captor keeping her company in this huge cage of a house.

Perhaps tragedy would have been averted had he forced her to go outside a little more. You know, sunshine and grass, for animals. Now don't glare at me like that. She was as savage as any convict. She'd been deprived of any civilized company for years. If you'd known her, you'd have known as I do.

Now, oh! You made me lose my place! Where was I... Oh yes! By now, the girl had begun to neglect herself. She hoped to sever herself from this life she suffered and be free of the collar. She didn't want to eat the food bought to her by the captor with no face. No, she lay on the bed in her room given by her benefactor and simply lay there. Just like that. The servants were frightened and had to check on her every hour or so, for she was deathly still and quiet. Her glassy eyes were that of a cadaver's.

The husband, exasperated, hired physicians and therapists to see her. The house's servants were to assist her in her daily activities. They helped her brush her teeth, comb her hair and go to the water closet regularly. She grudgingly swallowed the soupy food they prepared for her and allowed them to bathe and dress her. She merely would stare blankly at the servants in their efforts and offer no assistance nor resistance.

The servants were very... indifferent, about her. As they lathered soap, they could see curious burns that extended from her neck down to her breast. While they did not look or take any particular note, she simply imagined their inner disgust. She believed in earnest that she could not, and should not, live here. A repulsive being, shunned by the world, you could say. But! Remember this was all in her mind! Had she merely seen things a little differently, the following tragedy may not have ensued. Oh, and what a tragedy it became...

She dreaded every passing second she lived. All her dreams involved running away with a boy. One she may have seen at the circus. I've heard him described with blonde hair and scars running down his left cheek. Stories say he was the only thing even remotely kind to her in her performing days.

But anyway, she loathed the living soul she possessed and everyday, she'd make a statement by making a little cut at her wrists and ankles. To her, ice was growing and covering her burning body. Soon, she'd lose feeling in an arm and leg. The next day, the other two limbs.

As she fell drowsy from the chill, she could hear a furious pounding at the door. She'd locked it of course. And she closed her eyes, never to awake again, her body laying in that lonely room, in a pool of blood with her limbs amputated.

Hm, yes, so they say. What? What's that? No, I should think there shan't be anymore to this tale. No, no, no, the next chronicles are far too beyond our realm for you to understand. Me? I have friends you know, friends from the other side...


	6. Chapter 6: Deep Red Swamp

Should you have remembered the tale of the chimera and her unfortunate death, perhaps you wish to discover exactly what became of her afterwords? Death is not the end, oh no. It merely dictates the beginning of a new harsh life in the Underworld.

Yes, in this world exists a Hell in the Underworld. This Hell is where the suffering souls of the greatest sinners lie and whine in pain day and night. Here is where our poor tragic chimera winds up. In this cesspool of pain and suffering.

…

"Unh..." the black haired girl draws herself up from the moist floor where she had lain.

She glances around, frightened. All around are shades of indistinct figures who lumbered about aimlessly and made motions to grasp the air. The floor was moist and soft, tinged with red and smelled like wine.

Spotting a small puddle, she scrambled on her knees and bent over, staring at her reflection. She gaped in horror.

Her hair, once teal, was now black. Her eyes, once green, were now red. Bloody gashes were visible on the trunks of her limbs. With a trembling hand, she touched her cheek and began to tremble uncontrollably.

She now remembered what she was doing here.

"I... I'm dead," She stammers slightly at the revelation.

All around her, the shades of the dead masses flocked. She could see them, all writhing in the pain of this pit. No... a swamp. Yes, a big swamp of red, filled with the suffering beings.

"This," She barely whispered, "is Hell."

And it certainly was. Sinners fall to the bowels here, burning, writhing and, well, you get the point. Hell is the place to torture people forever and make them wish they could die forever. Again.

So! Anyway, the girl reconciled the events slowly in her brain and remembered her name and her life. The rotten fruit, the collar. And now she was dead. As she listened to the moans and screams of agony around her, she was filled with contempt for the sinners.

The souls suddenly parted a road and walking through was an angel. One with black wings. He looked at her grimly with his chiseled face, a large scythe in hand. She stood and only measured up to his collarbone. He extended his left hand.

"Come."

She flinched at his voice, but obediently took his hand. In a flash, he had flown the two of them up to a precipice overlooking the hordes of dead, leaving only black feathers for the dead to grasp at. Miku looked down at the mass of souls writhing in agony, like ripples slowly spreading over a swamp surface.

She was careful with her footing. She wasn't sure why the angel chose her of all those down there to abduct. And the scythe was a menacing sight. But she couldn't possibly die again.

"Look at them," The angel's rumbling voice sent shock waves through Miku, "See how they beg for their lives before suffering and eternal pain."

She looked with chilling orbs and smirked. The Death Angel looked at her, perturbed.

"It's pathetic. They all deserve this," Miku says, "If they're selfish enough to blame others for their crimes and beg for forgiveness, they deserve to rot here."

To her surprise, the gloomy angel smiled toothily at her words. His black eyes glinted in amusement. He took a step forward and thrust the scythe between them, driving it's sharp point into the ground. His black garb hung loosely, revealing pale marble arms of lithe muscle.

"I can see! You are the one."

Miku was taken aback. She stared at him, completely flummoxed. He smiled again and placed the scythe in her hands.

"There is an open spot for a Death here. I was told you were going to be the new Reaper. And by the looks of it, I can see why Enma would choose you."

Miku slowly curled her fingers around the scythe. She felt a strange power pulse through her, utterly foreign and strange.


	7. Chapter 7: Scythe

A long line of sinners stretched before her at the depths of the Deep Red Swamp of Hell.

Her scythe reflects no light, because no sunlight reaches Hell. It still gleams a dull, dirty silver. As she raises the scythe over her head, she listens for the begging, pleading screams of the sinner as he or she begs for his or her life in vain. It must be done. Kill all the sinners. Kill them again and again and again and again.

This job was tiresome, but necessary. Those stuck here all waited their turn in the swamp to be executed. There was only one Grim Reaper, however, and that made the process very backlogged. All these condemned here to the Red Swamp of Hell were to be killed and, therefore, removed from the cycle of the soul, where one would normally be reincarnated after redeeming oneself.

Miku's once-vibrant eyes had turned dull from watching the crimson spatter endlessly. Her ears became deaf to the cries of agony and pleas of mercy. Her lips were a firm line set on her face that uttered nothing but the occasional "NEXT!" when the angel failed to be speedy with reception.

The black dress that adorned her was caked with blood. Her hands were stiff and practiced in the same motion that sent so many pleading sinners to their doom. She did not care what happened to them afterward, all that mattered was getting the job done.

There would be brief respites, however, when she could wipe the blood and sweat off her brow and change her clothes. The angels would polish the scythe and the job would continue anew. There was no end to the prisoners up for slaughter.

How Miku wished that the sinners would stop. If Hell ran out of sinners, she, as the reaper, would be free. But mankind was too evil to grant such a wish. They sinned day in and day out, even unconsciously. So she toiled to mend what was needed.

One particular day, right before a break ended, the familiar angel gave Miku a strange smile. She did not take any particular note but upon seeing her next prisoner, she understood.

It was her husband.

The man who had bought her out of the circus with his own money and cared for her with his own hands. (She had only realized all this once she died because only death truly cures the insane.)

He was wretched and his eyes had been gouged out. Stitches partially sealed his mouth and he had been through some sort of torture.

Miku's hand flew to her gasping mouth. She trembled slightly as her fare was bought before her. The angel stepped back and bowed, almost mockingly. His red eye peeked from his ash gray hair and his lips were wrought in a contemptuous smile.

Still shaken, Miku slowly raised her scythe. It was heavier than it had ever been. Her lover's face was toward the floor as he knelt at her feet. She felt tears run down her face, the last sensation she had of emotion, and let the scythe fall upon the neck.


End file.
